The woman I became
by Scribitur Ad Narrandum
Summary: Harry is innocent. The order finds him dead, and at the same time, a woman is born under the name of Julia Zabini. Is Harry really dead? And what kind of organisation is Gray spiders? Should the world be worried?
1. Chapter 1: They were wrong

Thanks to Sara Viktoria

who let me continue and translate in french her story!

Thanks Sara!

* * *

**The woman I became**

_Author:_

Sara Viktoria (Lady-LunaPotter) : Chapter 1 to 25

Scribituradnarrandum : Chapter 26 to ???

**They were wrong**

The island of Azkaban was dark and gloomy. It was quiet and not a single being could be seen outside the great walls of the castle. Yes, Azkaban was a castle, or maybe you could call it a fortress. First, there were thick walls that surrounded the main building. The only way through them, was a big gate that, on the inside, was guarded by five Aurors. When you passed through those gates, you could feel a creeping feeling coming down your spine. That was the effects of the Dementors.

In these times, there were very few Dementors left under control of the ministry, so to make up for the missing Dementors, the minister had decided that 20 Aurors, in groups of two, would patrol the prison, and keep the prisoners in check.

To get in, you had to have a special pass, issued by the Minister himself, or the Head of the Aurors. The pass got you through the wards, and allowed you to stay for no longer than two hours, before you got thrown out.

The prisoners were many, and most of them were death eaters. The few death eaters the light side could capture were thrown into the prison. But, the light side also threw others in there, and one of them was the savior himself, Harry Potter.

Harry was sitting in his small cell, in the high security level. He had been there for three years, and had seen many horrible things during this time. Not just the death of his parents replaying in his mind every time a dementor hovered past his cell, but people who had taken their lives in their cell, just to end it all.

He had been spit at by the Aurors who patrolled past his cell. They had called him a murderer, a traitor of the light, and Voldemort's first man. At this however, Harry had laughed. He was by no means crazy, not yet anyway; he was just frustrated and thought it was rather sad that they thought so little of him. But not once did he reply to their taunts, he just sat there, thinking of everything that had been.

Severus Snape was sitting in the library of Snape manor, reading through a potion book, searching franticly for a solution to his problem. He had been working so long for this and was nearly done, but something disturbed him. A loud knock on the door to the library made him stop.

"What is it?" he snarled and the door cracked open, showing a small delicate woman in the doorframe.

"Severus, don't take that tone with me!" The woman said sternly.

"What is it?" The potion master said, a little calmer.

"You have a visitor in the drawing room." She stated and was about to close the door when Severus spoke again.

"Who is it?" He was rather surprised to have a visitor. That did not happen often during the summer.

"Ah Alastor Moody, I think his name was."

Severus went stiff. What did HE want? He had never been fond of the old Auror, quite the opposite. However, he had always respected him for his knowledge and skills.

Rising, he walked down the stairs to the first floor and turned left into the drawing room, where Mad-Eye Moody sat in one of the many armchairs. He looked absently out through the window, and jumped when Severus entered.

"Ah Snape, finally." The man rose and looked at him with a calculating look.

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and looked back. "What are you doing here Moody?" His voice wasn't cold, nor was it friendly.

"I have a problem Snape, that I would like your help with." Alastor stated and sat down again.

Severus's eyebrows rose, and after a while, he sat down himself. "So, what can I help you with?"

"Potter has been proven innocent."

Severus's face went a shade of red. "I told them!" He flew up from the chair and started to pace.

He had gotten to know Harry during his seventh year because of the training sessions they had had together, in Potions and Defense. He had seen that Harry was nothing like his father, and that he was rather fun to spend time with, but he would never admit that.

When Harry had been accused of killing Ginevra Weasley, the whole Order and Wizarding Community had turned against him. The only persons who had believed him innocent were He himself, Alastor Moody, Kingsley and to their surprise, the Weasley twins.

The twins had openly supported Harry, while Severus and Kingsley had made it clear to the Headmaster on which side they stood. Alastor had remained quiet, never telling anyone of his beliefs, not until a year after Harry had gone to prison.

"They are going to release him as soon as the minister has decided what to do with him."

Severus turned to the ex Auror. "We got to take him first. Albus can't have him, neither can the ministry; they all betrayed him for fuck sake!" Alastor nodded.

"Yes, Kingsley has a plan. He will be here shortly. We can only hope that Potter's still sane. Either way, we need to hide him, they will be searching."

Snape sat down in the chair again. "I have been working on something that may be able to help us, but I don't know if Potter will agree to it."


	2. Chapter 2: And now, he's dead

**And now he is dead...**

**Two days later...**

The door opened and a tall old man walked into the room. He looked tired and worn, for once like the 139 years he really was. The war had made him weaker, anyone could see that. The once powerful and smiling Headmaster was now depressed and tired. His eyes no longer held a twinkle and the aura surrounding him radiated sorrow and grief.

Albus Dumbledore sat down behind his desk, laid his head in his hands, and cried.

**Flash back**

"Albus!" Remus Lupin came storming into the headmasters office, looking livid, but also with an expression of pure and utter fear on his face. The worn and pale man looked about to collapse any minute.

"Remus, what's going on?"

An old, quite alarmed voice spoke from the other side of the desk that sat in the room. Albus Dumbledore regarded the man in front of him.

"He...he..." A sob was heard from the pale man and he broke down on the floor in the cozy office. Albus stood quickly, helping the man into a chair.

"Merlin Remus, what is it? Is it Nymphadora?" The white-haired man rubbed small circles on the other mans back. Remus looked up into the headmasters pale blue eyes.

"He is...is innocent!" Now, Remus was shaking, rocking himself in the chair, his arms draped around his middle.

"Who's innocent?"

"Harry."

Albus looked at the younger man in shock. "What?"

The trembling man reached for something in his pocket and gave it to the headmaster. It was a note that read thus.

"_Dumbledore,_

_We were wrong, Bellatrix Lestrange confessed under Veritaserum that she framed Potter, he is innocent._

_Alastor"_

**End Flashback**

Albus had gone straight away to collect the wizarding world hero. He would never forget the sight that lay before him when he arrived at Azkaban.

The boy had been on the floor, his back towards the wall. Albus had stepped in and spoken softly to the young man before him. Harry had been 17 years old when he first arrived at the prison and three years had gone since then. He had looked thin and sickly. When Albus had stepped closer, his heart nearly stopped. He had bent down, laid a hand on the boy and then he knew. He had been too late.

Before him, Harry Potter had been, dead. His beautiful green eyes would never open again and he would never laugh or fly for a last time.

Three years ago, Harry had been arrested for the murder of Ginny Weasley. The evidence had been clear, he had even confessed under ***Veritaserum***. The wizarding world had been in an uproar, and he himself had felt betrayed. Then, three years later, he had been proven innocent.

As it turned out, Bellatrix had been the one to kill Ms. Weasley. Harry had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time so he was blamed. During the trial, Bellatrix had been there under her invisibility cloak, behind Harry. She had cast the **°Imperius°** curse on him just when the ***Veritaserum*** was administered. He had been unable to shake it off, as the ***Veritaserum*** had affected his mental state. Then she told him to take the blame for the murder. It was an easy task for her.

So, Harry had been innocent. And now, he was dead.

The wizarding world had made a big mistake, very big.


	3. Chapter 3: New Identity

**New identity**

Alastor Moody sat in the kitchen at Snape Manor, sipping tea from a big cup. He looked out the window at the sun that rose over the forest that was located at the far end of the estate.

It was two days since they had visited Azkaban, and two days since they had made up the plan, a plan to give a young man a new life.

The young man in question was sleeping after two days of healing. Alastor shook his head when he thought of the sight that had greeted him and Kingsley when they had entered his cell.

**Flash Back**

Two men walked fast up to the fortress, and up to a man with a stern looking face.

"Good evening Alan, everything is alright?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked the man, who gave him a nod. "Yes, everything is under control. If I may ask, what are you doing here sirs?"

Alastor spoke. "We are here to do an exam of one of the prisoners, to see if the man is still sane, we may need him to testify in a difficult case."

The man, whose name was Alan, looked surprised. "Oh, I don't think that I have got any information on that." Kingsley nodded. "I know you don't. This came up after the staff meeting today Alan and it can't wait, I'm afraid."

Alan collected a list for them to sign, and asked them to show identifications and the magical pass.

Five minutes and some well wishes later, they made their way inside. The presence of the Dementors gave them a creepy feeling as they started to walk down the corridors, and in to a section named D3.

The cells were small, and all the prisoners had to sleep on a thin mattress, that as the look of it didn't do any difference at all. When they walked down the corridor, they could see the thin, sick looking prisoners look at them with some kind of freakish hope in their eyes, but they all knew the truth. No one who was in this section was ever released. The society had a long time ago condemned them to death by dragging them inside these cells. Most of them were murders, some of them thieves.

The two men walked to cell 2912, and took out the pass. By placing the pass on the door of the cell, the door recognized the signature, and the door opened.

Kinsley had to grip Alastor's arm when he saw the thin pale form of Harry Potter, lying on the cold stone floor, with nothing but a thin set of clothes on his shivering body. His hair was long and reached him to his mid back, and his green eyes were closed, and he seemed to be asleep, dreaming a disturbing dream.

The both men walked slowly into the cell, and Kingsley found himself on the floor beside the boy, doing an easy diagnostic spell on the young man.

"He's far from well Alastor, we better hurry." Alastor stepped forward and gripped his wand tight. "You better hope that this will work, or we will have a big problem."

Alastor began to chant an old advanced spell over the pale looking body before him. He waved his wand in big circles and a blue light erupted form it. Kingsley backed away from the light and stared at the two in awe.

After several minutes, Alastor broke the connection and motioned for Kingsley to come nearer.

"We will have to work together on this."

They both pointed their wands at Harry and said forcefully.

" **°Separera°**!"

Harry's body started to split in two. Both wizards looked in shock as an exact copy of Harry appeared beside the real one.

Both Harry's was still asleep, probably in a coma.

**End Flash Back**

Alastor shook himself out of his thoughts and refilled his cup. He turned around when a tired looking George Weasley entered the kitchen, barely registering the ex-aurors presence. He plopped down in one of the chairs and laid his head on the table.

"I take it you didn't get much sleep, am I correct Weasley?" Alastor grunted and sat down in the opposite chair. Georges has snapped up.

"You could say that" was all the redhead said before standing and taking his own cup of tea. "I forced Snape into bed, after much arguing, I might add, and stayed up all night myself."

Alastor knew that Snape could be stubborn as hell if he wanted to be, so he didn't doubt that he had been tricky to get to sleep. Under these two days, Snape had rarely been seen outside Potters bedroom.

He had been surprised at the man's softness when he tended for the weak Potter heir. The previous hate for the boy seemed to be gone, and now there was some kind of caring and understanding between the two. Oh yes, Potter had been awake, and he had said nothing unfriendly to the man, just smiled in gratitude and thanked them all for their support. When Fred Weasley had mentioned the Order, the boys face had gone from soft to stone in one second. He had closed his eyes and told them to talk about something else.

When they had mentioned their plans for him, Potter had gotten a mask of shock. When they told him about their reasons, and what uses the plan could have, he had been stunned for a while, and then agreed. They had been relieved that he hadn't refused as they had thought.

The plan seemed simply, but it was nothing but. The potion involved was complicated to brew, as it was a Swedish one, that needed two drops of blood from a Swedish white hare, collected in December, and as it now was June, it had been rather hard to find someone who had that particular kind of blood. But they had found it, or Snape had. He had brewed the potion, and it had been administrated the previous evening.

Now, they could only wait.

Severus Snape sat by the window in the rather large and airy room at the third floor on his manor. He sat there, looking at the pale form of Harry Potter sleeping in the bed next to him.

The two days that had been, had been rather tiring in his opinion, but he didn't care. Severus was mystified of the feelings that had awoken in him as Kingsley and Alastor had brought the boy to him two days ago. He had felt, pity, for the boy before him, and that was something new to him.

Before Harry had been thrown into Azkaban, but after he had confessed under ***Veritaserum***, Snape has visited him along with the Weasley twins. They had assured him that they were on his side, and told him that no matter what, they would always believe in his innocence. Harry had replied and told them that he was grateful for their support, but that he doubted that anyone would listen to them in the matter. There was just too much evidence against him. He had confessed under ***Veritaserum*** after all.

But now his innocence was proven, and the wizarding world that had turned their backs on him three years ago, now wanted him back. Severus shook his head when he thought of the fools that believed that he would be able to forgive them. Yes, Potter was a forgiving person, but he was not a fool.

He rose when he saw Harry move in the large bed, and made his way over to check on him. Green eyes looked at him, and a faint smile appeared on the pale looking face.

"Good morning Potter" Severus greeted him and reached for a bottle of painkilling potion. Potter shifted in the bed and tried to sit, but Severus stopped him.

"Let me help you Potter, or it's going to hurt." Potter looked up at him and gave him a weak smile.

Severus helped him up to a sitting position and gave him the bottle of potion. Potter took it and swallowed it instantly before he closed his eyes and sighed.

The two of them hadn't spoken so much these days and Severus was used to the quiet young man in the bed, so he was surprised when Potter spoke with a soft voice.

"I hope you didn't stay here all night you know, I can cope on my own for a night." Potter's eyes were still closed, so he didn't see the surprised expression Severus had on his face.

"No, Mr. George Weasley stayed here tonight. And don't be silly Potter; you need to be monitored at all times, until the transformation is complete." He sat down in the window again and studied Potter.

The transformation was the most important part of the plan. He had been surprised that Potter had agreed so quickly. I mean, it wasn't every day you gave up your gender.

Yes, Potter was slowly transforming into a girl.

"The transformation should be complete tonight." Potter opened his eyes and looked at him.

"Have you made up a new identity?" Potter asked and gave him a curious look.

Severus nodded. "Yes, we have. I contacted my sister Camille, and she agreed to take you in as her supposed daughter. She will also be the one to teach you about your new body."

Potter blushed a bit and looked down at his knees. Severus stood and walked over to the desk in the corner. He picked up a file with lots of papers and walked over to Potter.

"Here, this is your knew life. In here, you have my family history, your new identity and supposed past life. You better memorize it well."

Harry took the file from Snape and opened it. The first page seemed to be the identifications papers.

**Identification:** 1992110029

**Birth date:** 1980-09-17

**Birth name: **Julia Camille Zabini Prince

**Lives:** No information

**Mother:** Camille Theresa Snape Prince

**Father:** John Nicolas Zabini

**Education:** 7 years at Romania Wizarding Academy

**NEWTs:** Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Muggle studies, Charms

**Occupations:** Qualified DADA teacher (Level 8)

**Working experience:** Small Defense groups

**Crimes:** None

**Distinctions:** None

Department for laws and order

Harry stared at the paper. He was supposed to be a Zabini? He was just about to ask Snape when he felt an indescribable pain from his whole body. He screamed.


	4. Chapter 4: Julia Camille Zabini Prince

**Julia Camille Zabini Prince**

Severus was beside the bed in an instant, with a almost concerned expression on his face.

"Mr Potter!" The young man stopped screaming, but he was in a lot of pain, that was for sure. He gave Severus a pleading look, and all Severus could do was to shake his head.

"I can't give you another painkilling potion just after you had one." Potter groaned and started to twist in the bed. Severus took a hold on his arms and pressed him against the pillows.

"Don't move, you'll just make it worse!"

Potter shut his eyes, and after a few seconds, a yellow light started to surround him. The light was too bright for Severus, who had to step away from the bed against his will.

Harry just wanted to die. He had never felt anything like this before. It was as if someone burned him inside and out, and he felt like his whole body turned into jelly, jelly that formed his body into something else.

And just as the pain had come, it was gone. The light vanished and he slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he didn't need his glasses anymore. It was a relief.

He looked around, only to see Snape staring at him in some kind of fascination. Harry wondered what he was looking at, and then it hit him. Had he..?

He was almost afraid to look at himself. He knew what he would see, he could feel the differences in his body, but would he be able to do it without fainting? He looked down.

He had breasts.

Harry looked up again, and took a deep breath. He wished he had a mirror, so he could get a better look at himself, and turned to Snape who still stood as frozen.

"You have a mirror?" He gasped at his voice. It was soft and girly, nothing like his old one.

"Over there." Snape pointed at the wall and Harry slowly made it out of bed, still in a little pain but he ignored it as he walked up to his reflection.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw himself.

He still had his mother's eyes, but they were marbled with blue, and they held an amazing sparkle in them. His nose was small and delicate, and his mouth was small with filled, nearly blood red lips. His face was framed with silky black hair that reached to the middle of his back.

His body, far too thin, was more curvy and female. His hips were more rounded, and the breasts were the most conspicuous change. Harry stared at them in a bit of horror. They weren't very big, but he thought that they looked enormous on him. His feet and hands were smaller as well, his fingers thinner.

Severus stared at the girl by the mirror. Gone was the copy of his childhood enemy, and instead, there was a beautiful girl. The potion that had been given contained some DNA from his sister Camille, as well as her husband John, and in front of him stood the result.

The young woman in front of him looked in many aspects like Camille, but there was also some of John in her. She had Camille's body, delicate and thin. Even if she had just walked to the mirror, he could tell that she moved with the same grace and elegance as his sister.

She had Johns nose, not the sharp pointed nose that the Snape was famous for, and he thanked god for that. She had also inherited John's eyes. Not completely thought. The green in Potters eyes was still there from his, or now her mother Lily, but the green had been mixed with a shining blue colour, the same as John had, and also that sparkle his brother in laws eyes was there.

The colour of the lips was inherited from the Zabini line, and the hair could have been from any of the families.

Without thinking, he stepped forward and put a hand gently on Potters shoulder. From now and on, this was his niece, and he would do anything to make her feel safe.

Harry, or now Julia, felt the hand on her shoulder and she look up at her "uncle". It was now his new life would begin, the boy who lived did no longer exist. He had died in the prison, and it was that way it would be.

"You should get back into bed. You're still weak, and you need to rest." He started to pull her towards the bed and suddenly she felt her head spin, and in an instant, Snape had picked her up in his strong arms and carried her back.

"I told you." He tucked her under the blanket. "I will go down for a cup of tea, I will send someone up here to keep you company." He turned to leave.

"Thank you, uncle". Snape was obviously not expecting her to address him like that because he stopped in his tracks and spoke softly after a moment.

"You're welcome Julia."

He left the room and Julia leaned back on her pillows. The file was on the floor, and she picked up it again and opened it at the second page.

It was a summary of her supposed life. She had lived with her parents in England to the age of four, when the family had moved to Italy for two years before leaving to Spain for a year and then back to England and one of the Zabini family estates.

She was the only child, and had been educated in Romania because that her parents had thought it would be a great chance to make useful contacts and because of the headmaster being an old friend to John, her father.

Her father worked as an author, and her mother worked with charity. John and Camille were married, but they had different surnames. That was unusual in the wizarding world, but as John wasn't the sole heir of the Zabini line, his wife was not forced to take the name Zabini. Camille had the name Snape Prince, Snape coming from her and Severus father, and Prince coming from their mother. And as Julia wasn't the heir of the Zabini, but Prince, she had the last name Prince, and Zabini for her father.

Julia got surprised of that. She would be the one to inherit the Prince family? But, she wasn't even related, not really. It was one of many questions she had, that she should remember to ask later.

The door opened and in came the twins. They stopped when they saw him/her in the bed and their jaws dropped.

Julia stayed quiet as they stared at her. "Harry? Is that you?" Julia shook her head, "No, it's Julia now, so you better get used to it guys."

They came forward and Fred gave her a flirting smile. "You're hot mate." Julia blushed and gave him a smile. "Thanks."

George just smiled at her. Merlin, what are they up to now?

"You just have to go on a date with me later", Fred continued, but George gave him a disapproving glare. "Lay of Fred, I saw her first."

Three days and an annoyed Snape later, Julia got permission to leave bed. She was still weak, but strong enough to move around in the house.

The reason that Snape was annoyed was the way the twins had acted around Julia. It was obvious that they liked her, and flirted with her constantly. This seemed to make Snape a bit unnerved; after all, it was his niece they were flirting with.

Julia stood alone in the room, dressed in a pair of comfy pants and a simple T-shirt, her hair pulled back in a pony tail. A nock on the door made her jump.

"Julia, are you done yet?"It was her uncle.

"Yeah, just a minute." She stepped into a pair of trainers and opened the door and stepped put in the hall.

They made their way down, Snape by her side the whole time. When they entered the kitchen one minute later, it was empty except for Kingsley who stood with his back turned against the table and with **"The Prophet"** in his hands.

"Oh! hi there, Julia, Severus." Julia sat down at the table.

"So, what's the news from Dumbledore?" Severus asked, and Julia could see that his face was hard.

"There will be a ceremony for "Harry Potter" tomorrow, it's in the Prophet too."

Julia swallowed hard. The replica of Harry Potter had been found after her coming to the Snape manor, and so far, no one had suspected a thing.

"It's quite interesting. Mr Weasley and Ms Granger is crying constantly for their friend´s death, but if I'm not mistaken, they were the ones to turn on Harry first."

Julia felt tears in her eyes at the thought of her supposed friends. She would never forgive them, and as Harry Potter was dead, it wouldn't even be necessary. Thank god.

"Are you alright Julia?" Snape asked and gave her an uncertain look.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"My sister and her husband will come here in about two hours."

Julia looked up sharply at him. "So soon?" Snape nodded. "Yes, you will probably go over to them in the beginning of next week, It's dangerous for you to be here a longer time, because of the visitors." Snape meant the Death Eaters. He was still spying for Dumbledore, and had to maintain the Dark Lords trust.

Julia nodded. Not for the first time that week, she wondered what she had given herself into.

Two hours later, Julia was sitting in the drawing room in front of the fire, with a heavy book on defence in her knee. She had always been interested in the subject, and she had even teaches some of her mates defence against the dark arts in her fifth year.

She looked up as three persons came through the doors. There was Snape, and a man that had to be John Zabini. Julia could see that he had the same blue eyes that Blaise Zabini had. By the man's arm stood a stunning woman. That Camille was Snape's sister was for sure. They had the same face, except that her eyes were bigger and the sharp nose was a bit smaller.

"This is my sister Camille Prince and her husband John Zabini. John, Camille, this is Harry Potter, or as she now is named, Julia Camille Zabini Prince."

John Zabini had been shocked when Severus contacted him and his wife a week ago, needing their help. At first, John had thought it had to do with the Dark Lord, but when he heard the real reason he had nearly fainted.

Severus had told them that Harry Potter indeed had been innocent to the murder of Ginevra Weasley. Severus said that he needed protection from those who had hurt and betrayed him, and told them about the plan.

The plan was that he and his wife would pose as her parents. John and Camille had never been able to get kids of their own, and Camille had accepted instantly. He had been unsure about the whole thing.

The Zabini had always been neutral in the war against evil and good. If they were to take Harry Potter, even in a new body, into their family, and Voldemort in some way got a hold on the information that Harry Potter still was alive, and living with the Zabini, they would be forced to participate in the war, against their will.

But here they were here, and in front of them sat a young 19 year old woman, looking like the daughter he never had. She had his eyes, nose and skin, while the mouth and body was inherited from Camille. Her hair was silky and long, a mix between his and Camille's.

He could feel his wife hard grip on his arm and he knew that she was leaning on him for support right now. The woman rose and walked up to the pair. She looked shyly at them and extended her hand towards them. "Nice to meet you, and thank you for doing this for me, I'm really grateful."

John was once again shocked, now by the girl's soft voice and her politeness.

"A pleasure to meet you to... hum... Julia." He was a bit unsure about how to address the girl, but he thought that her new name would be the best.

His wife released him and hugged the girl. "Welcome to the family darling, I know we will get along fine."

Julia gave his wife a brief hug back and then stepped out of the embrace. Then, his wife started to attack Severus.

"Sev, hasn't she eaten? Don't you feed her enough? She is all skin and bone!" John lay a hand on his accusing wife.

"Camille, calm down. The girl has been in prison for three years, what do you expect? I'm sure Severus has done his best. He gave Severus an apologizing look but the man just wavered it of.

Julia seemed to be a bit distressed and John gave her a smile. "My wife can be a bit… overprotective, but you get used to it." Camille gave him a sour look before turning to the girl.

"Come darling, I would love to talk to you for a minute."

Severus was about to protest, but John held up a hand. "Let her be, my friend." Severus grunted and sat down in an armchair.

"She seems like a polite girl." John stated and looked at Severus. He would have liked to know some more about the girl that were to become his daughter.

"Yes, I guess she is, has always been, even as Harry." He looked down at his hands. "But I had a hard time accepting it." John gave him a curious look.

"He was a Potter, and looked so much like his father. I just took him for his father the whole time, and didn't really see him until he went to prison."

John wasn't sure what "taking him for his father" really meant in this case, but he decided to leave it for now.

"Is there anything more I should know about his previous life?" Severus nodded.

"Yes, there is one thing that is more important than others about her, and that is that she has a link with Voldemort through her scar."

John didn't know if he would faint or get angry. A link? With the monster? Before he could voice his thoughts Severus spoke again.

"She can shield herself from him of course, I taught her Occlumency in her 6th year, before she got thrown into Azkaban, but sometimes, she can feel the pain from different curses the dark lord casts on his followers or victims."

He shuddered at the thought. That must be horrible.

"There is also another thing."

John listened carefully not to miss the man's soft spoken words.

"She has a tendency to save people from everything and everyone, hero complex if you want. She thinks that the whole world is on her shoulders and blames herself for other peoples deaths. And she doesn't care about herself or what happens to her, just her friends and those she care for is safe."

John looked over at the girl and his wife; they seemed to be in the middle of a conversation. If she was about to be his daughter, he would protect her as such too.

"Why isn't she with Dumbledore or something, why us?"

In that moment, Alastor Moody entered the room and answered his question.

"Dumbledore wants to use her as a weapon in the war."

Johns face got a grim expression and he stood. No one would use such a young girl for some kind weapon, not if he could help it.


	5. Chapter 5: The funeral

**The Funeral**

Julia followed her supposed mother to the other end of the room. She could see that they were much alike. She moved with a grace that Julia had rarely seen any woman do before. Her whole spirit radiated dignity and pride, just like her brother.

The older woman turned and gave her a curious look. "So, how do you feel?"

Julia didn't know what to answer.

"I know this must be hard for you, not only the betrayal of your friends but also this," she pointed at Julia's body.

Julia found herself answering.

"In a way, as a girl, I don't need to deal with the betrayal in the same way. I mean, I am Julia Zabini Prince now, right? Camille nodded.

"As I am Julia now, no one has ever betrayed me, not as Julia. Of course, I feel betrayed, but I want to focus on getting my life back before thinking too much of that."

Camilla Prince nodded. "Just remember you can come to me or John anytime and talk."

"Okay, thanks." Julia said shyly.

"Now, I want to ask you something. What on earth have you done to my brother? He is a completely new person!"

Julia looked over at where the men sat, Snape obviously telling John something serious, by the look on their faces.

"I don't know, he was this way when I woke up." Julia admitted.

"Well, he certainly has changed, for the better if you ask me. I can see that he is looking at you with some kind of affection." She turned to Julia.

"Enough about him, what are you going to wear tomorrow?"

Julia gave her a surprised look. "Tomorrow?"

"The funeral."

Julia hung her head. "Oh, that. I have no idea...I have nothing."

Camilla smiled. "Well, then we have much to do! Be ready to leave for Diagon Alley in half an hour."

In that moment, before Julia could say something, Snape interfered.

"Camille, I'm not letting Julia out of the house until tomorrow, she needs to rest." His voice was calm, but the two women could hear the seriousness in it.

"Oh, Sev! The girl has nothing to wear for tomorrow. She will need a new dress."

Snape huffed. "Very well...but only for an hour, and I'm going with you."

An hour later, Julia found herself outside Madam Malkins, with Camilla by her side and Snape behind her. They entered the small shop, surprised to see no less than 4 members of the Weasley family talking and trying robes on. Julia stopped dead in her tracks and just wanted to disappear there and then. It was too soon, way too soon for this kind of confrontation with the Weasleys. She felt the panic rise in her and turned, only to walk into Snape.

At first, he looked at her in surprise, but when he saw the Weasleys his expression turned grim and he allowed her to walk past him, outside to the alley again.

Julia took deep breaths and tried to shake the emotions of betrayal away. She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw Snape look at her with concern in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" Julia nodded but knew that she was lying to herself. Who was she kidding? She had been terrified to see them.

"If you cannot handle them today, when there were just four of them, I don't think you will be able to handle the funeral tomorrow." He stated quietly.

Julia shook her head. "No, I need to go to the funeral, to say goodbye." She blinked away a stray tear that was at the corner of her left eye. "I just got surprised. If I know that they are going to be there tomorrow, I will be able to handle it better."

Snape looked as though he was going to object, but stopped himself and waited for her to collect herself.

"Shall we try to join Camille, or shall I inform her that we are leaving?"

Julia started to walk to the shop again. "I'm prepared now, let's go."

When they entered, Camille rushed up to them and looked them over.

"What happened Sev?"

Julia answered for him. "I just needed some air." Camille looked at her with a frown. "Are you ok? Or shall we go anywhere else?" she whispered.

"No, I'm fine, let's get this over with."

Julia kept a close eye on the Weasleys while Camille dragged her to the counter where Madam Malkin herself sat.

"Oh, Mrs. Zabini, it was a long time since I saw you!" Madam Malkin hurried around to meet them. She gave them both a smile.

"And who would this young lady be? If I didn't know you that well, I would think that she was a daughter of yours, Camille."

The answer she got made her look a bit shocked.

"She is."

"What?" Madam Malkin breathed.

"I think my sister made that clear, she is indeed the daughter of John Zabini and Camille." Snape explained bored.

"Well, now that is cleared up, we would like to look at some dresses, we are just buying one today, for Julia here, for the funeral.

Madam Malkin nodded sadly. "It's horrible what has happened. I can't believe we were wrong about him the whole time, and that he died because of it." She had a glint of tears in her eyes, but blinked them away.

"Oh, dresses it is, follow me."

Julia stood in her room at Snape Manor and looked into the mirror before her. She inspected her work carefully.

She was dressed in a green dress which reached to her knees. It was tight and made her form show, making her look very feminine. Thin bands held the dress on over her shoulders, leaving her arms bare. A black cloak with the Prince family crest on the back, was draped over her shoulders hanging all the way down to the floor. Her shoes were a pair of boots with high heels, making her seem taller than before.

Her hair was gathered in a ballerina knot on the back of her head, and she wore a thin layer of makeup on her face. Her mother had showed her how to put it on the previous day, and she had found it quite fun to learn.

She moved away from the mirror and walked up to the window in her room. It was a cloudy day, perfect for a funeral if you asked her. She felt her eyes water and she quickly wiped the tears away, not wanting to ruin her makeup.

The years in Azkaban had made her realize that there was nothing that hurt more than betrayal of those whom she counted as family and friends.

Hermione had been the first to lash out at her, screaming and telling her what a monster he was. That had hurt. He had tried to explain, but she hadn't listened, just glared at her and stormed off.

Ron had been a different matter. He had been her first and best friend, and even when his sister had died, she hadn't thought that he would react the way he did. He didn't scream as she had expected, he just stood there, with a blank expression on his face, and then he spat her/him in the face.

**Flash back**

Ron came in to the office, stopping when he saw Harry sitting in a chair, chained. He made no move to talk, and Harry couldn't find any words for his friend.

Ron moved forward again and soon he was standing right in front of him, with a blank expression on his face. Harry had expected him to scream and rant, even kill him as Hermione had wanted to do, but he just stood there, with a look of betrayal in his eyes.

Harry searched for his voice, tried to come up with something to say, but there were simply no words. How could he defend himself? All the evidence pointed towards him, the trial was to be held that afternoon and even if he testified under Veritaserum, no one would believe him.

What Ron did next was unexpected. He spat in his face. Harry met his former friend's eyes, and he nearly flinched under the redhead's gaze.

"I hope you rot in hell." With those words, his friend of six years walked out, to never come back.

**End flashback**

She had been on the verge of losing it right after the trial. She had, under Veritaserum, confessed! She had known something was off. She had felt the presence of another mind, another voice, telling her what to do. She suspected that the imperious curse had been cast, but how had that been possible?

She had known what awaited her. She would be thrown into Azkaban, just like Sirius, and she would rot there for the rest of her life. At the time, she had thought that would be for the best. She no longer had anyone to turn to, no one who believed her innocence, so why not?

Then, the unexpected had happened.

**Flash back**

Harry sat in his cell at the ministry, staring blankly at the wall before him. Everything was over. He had no reason to live any more. Ginny was dead, his friends ready to kill him, his former teachers loathed him and Albus Dumbledore was furious. And somewhere far away, Harry was sure Voldemort celebrated with his death eaters, among them Peter Pettigrew and Bellatrix Lestrange.

He was brought back to reality when he heard people come down the corridor, and he was sure that this was the end. He was surprised however when a Auror came up to the cell and unlocked it, opening the door for three cloaked gestalts to enter. After that, the Auror closed the door again and walked away, after telling the three that he would be back in ten minutes.

Harry didn't bother to stand; he already knew who the three were.

"Come to gloat?" he managed to say in a raspy voice. "Don't you think that I already got what I deserved?" he continued silently.

The first of the visitors let the hood fall, showing the face of Severus Snape, potion master of Hogwarts. "As much as I love to see you suffer, I wish it had been for something you had done rather than this." the man said in a surprisingly neutral voice. Harry looked up at him.

"Like I should believe you Snape, you have done nothing to make me feel any better the past six years, so why bother now?" Instead of Snape answering him, one of the others spoke up.

"Harry, we don't believe you did it." Harry's head snapped to the figure who had spoken.

"What?" Harry could not believe what he had heard.

Fred and George appeared in front of him and looked at him sadly.

"We don't think that you killed our sister Harry, we know you didn't." Fred said, kneeling in front of Harry who was sitting on the cold stone floor.

George nodded. "We, Snape, Kingsley and Moody are on your side, but we have no evidence that can prove that you are innocent."

Harry smiled a sad smile. "How do you know it wasn't me?"

The twins gave him a stern look. "You are our brother, you loved Ginny as a sister, and you belonged to our family, you would never do it."

Snape muttered behind the twins. "And he is far too much of a Gryffindor to ever do anything like that."

The room went quiet for a moment before Snape spoke again. "We came here to tell you Potter, that one day, you will be proven innocent, and that day, we will be there for you. All you have to do is hold on."

Harry blinked. "Professor, why are you doing this?"

Snape moved closer and whispered in his ear.

"Dumbledore was the reason I went to the light side, I needed him for protection. The reason I stayed all these years was because I believed in you. You may be a Potter, but I have always known that you would be the only one standing a chance against the dark lord." He stopped and he heard him swallow.

"When word got out that you had killed Ginny Weasley, I knew it had to be a lie, and told Dumbledore so. But he states that you were indeed guilty. I no longer trust the man Potter, I'm not on the light side anymore.." Harry gulped.

"...I am on your side."

**End Flashback**

Julia remembered the shock she had felt when he had spoken those last words. And he had told the truth. Snape had resigned from the Order of the Phoenix. He was still a spy for the order, but nothing more, and the position as potion master at Hogwarts. He had told her that a few days ago and she had been

Surprised, and to her surprise, glad.

Fred and George had never joined the Order, at first because of their business, and later because of their betrayal of Harry. They rarely spoke to their family, except for Bill and Charlie who never had taken anyone's side when Ginny died. They had just mourned over their sister, not blaming anyone.

Kingsley and Moody were still in the order, Moody to get useful information and Kingsley just to feel like he helped.

Julia was brought back from her thoughts when a loud knock was heard on the door.

"I'm coming!" She grabbed the white rose that she had conjured earlier and checked her makeup in the mirror before she opened the door and stepped outside into the hall.

"You look stunning." She smiled at her father. ( A/N From now on I will call John and Camilla her father and mother. ) He was wearing a pair of black slacks, a green button up shirt and like her, he had a black cloak, but with the Zabini crest instead. She thought he looked really handsome.

"Thanks." They started to walk down the hall and just before they were to walk down the stairs, her father stopped her by taking a hold of her arm.

"If you feel uncomfortable doing this, or during the funeral, tell me and we will leave." Julia gave him a reassuring look. "I will."

They walked down the stairs to the entrance hall, where her mother and uncle waited for them. Her mother was dressed like her, but with the Zabini crest on her cloak, and Snape had the Snape crest.

"You look amazing darling!" Her mother hugged her before Severus spoke. "Shall we be on our way?" Everyone nodded and they walked out to the carriage that would take them to the ceremony.

When they arrived at Hogwarts, where the ceremony would be held, Julia was shocked to see the crowd of people waiting for the funeral to begin.

Her uncle looked disgusted, and her parents wore an expression similar to his.

"Why all these people even bother to come is beyond me. Every single one of them turned on Harry Potter three years ago, and now they think that they can just show up like they had been his best friend or something." Severus muttered as he opened the door to the carriage so the rest of them could climb down.

The air was cold, for being June, and Julia covered her head with the hood on her cloak, so did her father. He took his wife's arm and started to lead them to where Julia could see a black haired man and a woman, and beside them was Blaise Zabini, so Julia guessed that this was her father's family.

"John, Camille! Long time since we saw you two!" The man greeted them. Julia could see that this was a older version of John, so they had to be brothers.

"Patrick, Jasmine, nice to see you. Not a nice way to meet, mind you, but anyway." Julia looked as John hugged his brother and gave the woman, Jasmine, a peck on her cheek.

"Ah, Severus, what a surprise!" The man named Patrick shook Severus's hand firmly. He was about t speak again when he saw Julia standing beside the potion master.

His face lit up in a smile and he extended his hand.

"Patrick Zabini, a pleasure to meet you. I didn't know Severus was seeing someone, that's certainly a change."

Julia stared at the man, glad that her hood was up; otherwise he would have seen her amused and shocked look. Severus was about to speak when her father spoke in an amused tone.

"I think you have misunderstood the situation brother, your niece is not dating Severus."

Patrick, still extending his hand towards Julia, turned his head to look at his brother. "What?"

Julia looked at her father who nodded and she lowered the hood. Patric turned back to her staring at Julia in fascination.

"Patrick, let me present my daughter, Julia Camille Zabini Prince."

Julia extended her hand and shook Mr. Zabini's gently. "Nice to meet you, uncle."

The three Zabinis just stared between Julia and her father. Patrick Zabini turned to his brother. "You have a daughter?" John stepped forward and laid a hand on Julia's shoulder. "Yes, I have."

"But she must be what? Seventeen?" Jasmine spoke up.

John shook his head. "Nineteen to be exact."

Just as Patrick was about to speak again, a booming voice was heard over the crowd.

"The ceremony will begin in a few minutes, please take a seat in the great hall, the media in the front to the left in the marked area."

Julia turned to her father and he extended his arm for her and his wife. "We will talk later brother, we have a funeral to attend." Her father began to walk them up to the castle, the other family still standing there with their jaws dropped to the ground.

"What will you tell him?" Severus asked as they entered the school. John gave him a brief look. "The truth."

"WHAT!" Severus lowered his voice when people started to stare at him. "Are you insane?"

"I have to, just him, not Jasmine or Blaise, just Patric. He is the head of the Zabini line, and he has a right to know."

Julia knew that what her father was saying was the truth, even if she didn't like it. The whole thing with this had been that very few people knew who she really was. The more people involved, the bigger chance for Voldemort to find out.

Julia looked around in what had been her first real home. Nothing had changed. They entered the hall, Julia gasping at the sight.

Hundreds and hundreds of candles were lit in the hall, otherwise decorated in black and red. Up at the front stood a white coffin, surrounded by candles. Julia nearly ran out again, but her father had her in a firm grip.

"It's okay, let's fined our seats."

They walked through the crowd and sat down at the end of the seventh row to the right. From there they had a good view and could easily see what was happening up at the front.

Julia felt herself shake. This was her own funeral after all. Her mother put a hand on her knee. "It's alright, breath calmly."

Julia calmed down slightly and looked around. What were all these people doing here? He hadn't seen nearly anyone of them. And the press! Who had let them participate? She hated them, Harry Potter hated them, and didn't her former friends know that?

Then, she saw them. The Weasleys. They sat at the first row, all dressed in black, and by the look of it, they had been crying. Two of them were missing though. The twins wasn't there. She scanned the room and stopped when she saw Severus and Kingsley sitting at the second row on the left side, and with them were the twins. She had never seen them so serious in her whole life. They weren't wearing black as the other Weasleys, but green. She wondered what that was about, but she thought they looked nice in it.

The people stopped talking as Dumbledore entered and walked through the hall with a serious expression pasted on his face. When he reached the front he turned around and scanned the crowd.

When Dumbledore started to speak, it was as though the world had stopped breathing, it was deathly silent.

"We are gathered here today, to say goodbye to a young man that we all knew and loved."

Julia felt her anger rise, but her mothers hand was still on her knee, and that calmed her down a bit. How dare he!

"We will all remember Harry as a person who had a goal in life, a goal to rid the world of all evil. Harry was filled with love and understanding, and I think that everyone who met him outside a duel, know this.

Harry Potter made a difference in this world, he showed us what was important, even in the time of war. Family.

Harry found a family in this world, and he would gladly have died for them if necessary as well as for his friends.

We all know, and regret what happened three years ago, when he was charged for the murder of a fellow classmate. But even then, when everyone turned against him, he didn't give up, and that shows, that Harry was stronger than all of us in here.

I know that many of you feel ashamed for turning on him, but don't be, because I know that he would have forgiven you.

We will always remember him, may he live in our hearts."

When Dumbledore stopped talking, Julia could see the Weasleys, minus Fred and George, cry openly. She also saw that nearly everyone in the hall had tears in their eyes.

Her father gripped her shoulder. "Are you ok?" Julia nodded weakly. She was anything but fine, she was furious! Dumbledore hadn't been talking about her or rather him, he had talked about the boy who lived.

What happened next, was unexpected.

Fred and George rose from their seats and made their way up to where Dumbledore was standing, looking quite shocked. Julia saw Molly Weasley giving her sons a surprised look, and Ron was practically fuming with anger. Charlie and Bill just looked at their brothers, waiting to see what they were up to.

George spoke quietly with the headmaster who looked a bit angry with the two boys. After some more talking, or rather arguing, by the looks of it, Dumbledore stepped down and sat in an empty seat on the first row.

The twins looked at each other and than scanned the crowd until they met Julia's gaze for a moment, before turning away again.

"We know that there's just supposed to be one speech, but we decided that some things were unsaid, and therefore, we are here to say them for you now." Fred started and George continued.

"We would like to tell you a story, a story of a normal family, a normal muggle family." every one looked at each other what were they talking about?´

"This family was happy, happy with their normal life, and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. But one day, when the woman in the household stepped outside to get the paper, she found a baby on the doorstep.

They took him in, and the young child started to grow. As the family never really wanted him, they never treated him like a family member. No, he served them as a house elf for ten years, and then in a day, everything changed.

The eleven-year-old boy got a letter, a letter that his uncle refused him, and threw in the fire. He got more letters, but he wasn't able to reach one of them. But a few days later, a man named Rubeus Hagrid came and collected him. The boys name was Harry Potter."

The crowd gasped.

"Harry entered our world with big eyes and a smile on his face, thinking that the hard days were over, but he couldn't have been more wrong.

He met prejudice and corruption everywhere he went. He saw that this world was no better than the one he had left, except for one thing.

He got a family here, he got friends, something that he never had before. He played quidditch and laughed around with his classmates, and he fell in love.

He met a godfather and a friend of his fathers, and felt like he had found the biggest treasure he could ever get.

But the world isn't fair. His godfather died, his friends turned on him, and he lost a sister." Here, Julia could hear Molly Weasley sob.

"He was wrongly accused, wrongly sent to rot in Azkaban. And we all let it happen.

Professor Dumbledore told us that Harry was stronger than everyone of us in here, but we beg to differ.

Harry was a symbol, and as a symbol, he couldn't show any fear or weakness. Every time he came back, after facing the dark lord, he gave us a smile of reassurance and told us he was fine. But every sane person know, that after facing the darkest wizard on the planet, you are nothing but fine.

After the trial, me and my brother got a visitor. He told us that we had to act, that this whole world had gone insane.

We entered the ministry and got permission to speak with Harry. We found him on the floor, on his way to a breakdown. We told him that we believed him, and we promised that the day he was declared innocent, we would be there for him.

And here we are. We are here today, standing up to our friend, and telling you how wrong you were. And if you believe that he would have forgiven you, you are wrong. There was nothing more he wished, than to have a family that stuck with him, no matter what, and you all betrayed him.

The boy who lived would have forgiven you within a heartbeat, but Harry Potter wouldn't.

There are 9000 wizards and witches in our community, and only five of us remained true to him. Harry gave up his whole life for this godforsaken world. Here you are, sobbing over a lost hero, thinking you're doing the right thing, but if I had been Harry, I would have felt insulted.

It's time for us all, to think about what we really have done. As far as I know, Harry was the only hope to ever defeat the evil in this world, and now, he is gone. Ladies and Gentlemen, we have all been digging our own graves."

With those words, the twins stepped down, walked down the aisle and out through the doors.

Julia felt tears running down her cheeks, tears of joy. She had found them, she had found a real family in them.

She felt her parent's arms around her. Everything was going to be fine.

Or so she thought.


	6. Chapter 6: Shopping

**Shopping**

Julia was standing in the entrance hall of Snape Manor, with the small trunk she had borrowed from her uncle. She didn't have much, but the file with her new identity and other small things were packed. Today, the day after the funeral, was the day she would leave Snape manor, and move in with her new parents.

Facing her stood Severus; looking her closely. "I will accompany you to the reading of the will tomorrow."

Julia nodded. She remembered the second night after coming to the manor, she had woken up, and the question of her money had arisen. It had been Severus idea.

**Flash Back**

"I have been thinking Potter, about what to do with the fact that your money would be out of your reach, once they announce that you are dead."

Harry shifted in the bed and looked closely at his former professor. "What do you have in mind?" he asked.

Severus sat in the chair beside the bed and looked at him. "The only way, as I see it, to have your assets back, is to get you married."

Harry blinked a few times, trying to process what the man before him had said. "What?"

Severus sighed and started to explain.

"Think of this Potter. When you were sixteen, you married a girl, secretly. This girl did never step forward to your aid when you got arrested, because of you forbidding her. Now, when Harry Potter is dead, she will be called for a reading of a will, your will. She would, as you have written in your will, inherit all your assets."

Harry just stared at him. "And who would that be? The one I was married to?"

Severus was quiet for a while, and then he spoke again. "You."

**End Flash Back**

She had asked the poor man many questions that night, and it was then, he had told Harry his plan, the plan of turning him into a girl. Harry had written his will, and Kingsley had taken it to the ministry. The will bore a different date and everything went fine. Now, she had received, as planned, a letter telling her to be present for a reading of Harry James Potters will.

The door opened and John stepped inside.

"Good day, Severus, Julia. Are you ready to go?" He asked, turning to Julia, who nodded.

"Yes, I am."

John smiled and picked up her trunk. "Good, good. We will see you at the reading tomorrow then Severus."

"Yes, you will." Julia gave her uncle a smile, waved, and walked after her new father.

The Zabini estate wasn't as big as the Snape manor, but it was big enough. The white house was surrounded by a beautiful garden, trees and flowers nicely arranged. The carriage drove through the gates and up the rather long way to the house. It stopped right beside the gray stone stairs to the house, and Julia stepped out after her father.

"Welcome to the Zabini estate, Julia."

Julia was awed about what she saw. The house was huge enough for three families, and yet, they would be just three persons living there. She followed her father inside, and looked around with big interest. The entrance hall was magnificent, the floor made of white marble, and the walls covered with tapestries and paintings of various people, smiling down at her. She gave the paintings a weak smile.

"Camille is in Diagon alley, shopping for you. I will take you there as soon as you have settled in." Her father smiled and made Julia following up the stairs to the second floor. Here, they turned left and made their way down a long corridor, stopping at one of the sets of white double doors.

"This, is your wing." he explained and opened the doors. Julia gasped in awe. "My wing?" She asked, stepping inside.

"Yes, Camille and I have a far too big house, so this space will be yours. I know this must be difficult for you, so we thought you would like to be for yourself sometimes, and this wing, is perfect for that."

Julia could only nod. She stood in what appeared to be a living room, decorated in beige and green. The walls where light green, the sofa and armchairs was a dark shade of beige and the curtains another shade of the same colour. On the floor, lay a cosy rug in cream. The sofa was faced against a fireplace, and two big windows, from floor to roof, giving her the view over the grounds around the house. One wall was totally covered with bookshelves.

Two doors could also be found in the room, and when she opened the first one, she saw a big bathroom, decorated in blue and white. Then, the last door was the one leading to her bedroom. A big window with blue curtains was situated on the right wall. A bed, king sized, was in the middle of the room. A walk in closet was found on her left, and when she stepped inside, she noticed that

It was huge! It even had a mirror hanging on one of the walls.

She stepped out again and turned to her father. "This is too much, I can't thank you enough." Her father smiled, and gestured to the door. "I think we shall leave before Camille buy the whole shop."

Diagon Alley was crowded, just like it should be. Women with their husbands and children was running in all directions, talking and laughing. The large number of people made Julia feels a bit distressed, and John seemed to notice this. He drew her closer, as to shield her, and lay a comforting arm around her shoulders. The tension that radiated from his daughter lessened, and he could feel her relax into his embrace.

John had only known the girl for less than two weeks, but he had already started to look at her as his own. Camille wasn't able to bear children, and they had given up all hopes for a child of their own. This was like a dream come true for his wife, and he was pretty happy himself. At first, he had been rather suspicious about the whole thing, but he was glad that he had agreed in the end. His thoughts wandered away, back to two days previous, when he had talked to his brother about the whole situation.

**Flash Back**

"So you are saying that this girl, your supposed daughter, is Harry Potter?"

John looked at his brother, nodding. "Yes, or she was, that is. She is my and Camille's daughter by blood now."

His brother stayed quiet for a long time, lost in his own thoughts. John just sat in the chair, sipping at the brandy he held in his hands.

"You know of my efforts to stay neutral in this war, do you not? And yet, you endanger everything, all my work, just to give yourself a daughter!"

John met his brother's eyes, feeling the need to protect his new family member.

"You know that Camille is unable to get pregnant, and, this girl is really important in this war, and whether you like it or not, we cannot be neutral for much longer. The Zabini house is known to be neutral, and Voldemort will, mark my words, he will be coming for us. He will try to recruit us, and if that doesn't work, he will kill us off. You know as well as I that this girl is our only chance to win this war, but that doesn't mean that she can be treated as a weapon all the time. She needs someone who takes care of her, and I and my wife were glad to help."

Patrick sighed. He rubbed his face with his left palm and gave John a tired look.

"I know that you are right, but, I still think it's dangerous. Besides, the girl is nineteen, we know nothing about the person she really is, only her famous self, Harry Potter. And, I cannot help but worry about the safety of our family, what if Voldemort finds out that we have her? That you have her? I don't even want to think about the consequences."

**End Flash Back**

John knew that Patrick only was looking out for the family's best interests, but sometimes, his brother could be so stubborn and distrusting. He guessed that if given time, even Patrick would see what a wonderful person Julia was.

They made their way through the alley, and at last, they entered a shop called Salene's Every Day Wear. The shop was bigger than Madam Malkin's, and Julia was awed, seeing all the racks with clothes. Her mother was standing by the counter, and when she saw Julia walking in, with her husband's arm draped over her shoulder, she instantly rushed to her side.

"Oh Julia honey, are you alright?" She gave Julia a concerned look and Julia nodded. "Yes mother, I'm fine." Her mother beamed and started to drag her over to the woman by the counter.

Julia was touched by her new parents concern about her, but she knew that it was only a public thing. To think they had any feelings for her that was just too much to hope for.

"Melanie, I want you to meet my daughter, Julia. Julia, this is my friend Melanie Parker." Julia shook Melanie's hand, and gave her a shy smile. "Nice to meet you Melanie."

Melanie had long blond hair that reached her to her shoulders and a very pretty smile.

"Likewise Ms Zabini, likewise. So, what can I do for you?"

Her mother spoke up. "We will need a whole new wardrobe, seeing as this young lady needs to be a bit more feminine, coming of age and all." Julia stared at her mother in confusion, not really understanding what the woman was talking about. She was already of age, so what was the thing about coming of age about? She decided to let it drop, and ask her mother later, right now, she needed to focus on more important things, like what the two women were handing her.

They started with pants. She tried around 20 sets of pants, and 9 of them went to the 'to buy' pile. There was three pair of blue jeans, one pair of black jeans, 2 leather pants, used for training and such, a pair of suit pants and also two pair of pants, only reaching to her knees.

Then there were shirts, tops, skirts, dresses, and underwear. She really enjoyed it all, and found it fun finding her own style. Sometimes her, other scowled at her choices, but for the most time, she approved.

Luckily for Julia, the Zabini's wasn't all too formal and traditional as the Malfoy's, so there was no need to think of what was proper and not, at least not to the extent of being a pain. If she had lived with the Malfoy's, she would have been forced to wear dresses or robes the whole time, it just wasn't acceptable for a young woman to wear something else.

After they were done, they made their way to a small restaurant, were Julia's father was waiting for them. They ate lunch, and then her mother dragged her off to the next store, this time, to boy formal clothes and some other robes.

Julia fell in love with several of the formal robes, one of them white, formfitting and absolutely stunning, and the other one blue, and had about the same design except for the fact that the blue one was sleeveless. They bought several other robes, both formal and casual, in different colors and designs.

After that, they headed for the shoe shop. By the time they got there, Julia was tired, and very much so, but her mother just smiled and made her sit down in a chair while she talked to the shop's owner. Ten minutes later, Julia found herself in front of a huge pile with shoes, all for her to try on. In the end, she ended up buying four pair of high heeled boots, white, brown, black and blue ones. Two pair of high heeled ones, black and beige. Two pair of trainers and a pair of boots, black, used for fighting.

When she stepped out of the floo network in the Zabini home, she fell down on the sofa, and was already asleep when her head hit the soft cushion. Shopping was tiring!


End file.
